This staple of the Mediterranean diet could reduce the risk of death from dementia

L'huile d'olive, consommée de façon régulière, permettrait de réduire le risque de décès par démence. fcafotodigital/Getty Images

Seasonal fruits and vegetables, fatty fish, and above all a touch of olive oil at every meal: the Mediterranean diet has been acclaimed by the scientific community for decades. And for good reason, it would help to preserve physical health and… mental health. A new study suggests that one of its basic products, olive oil, is associated with a reduced risk of death from dementia .

If health professionals and scientists have continued to praise the merits of the vegan diet for several years, it has still not succeeded in replacing the Mediterranean diet in terms of health benefits.

Renowned for the variety of foods that compose it, rich in seasonal products and poor in refined products and red meat, this diet which is also called 'Cretan diet' would be beneficial for the balance of intestinal transit, for cardiovascular health, or even for the maintenance of mental health, as explained by the Manger Bouger portal, the national public health program.< /p>

But Harvard researchers are now going even further. In a study initially presented in July 2023 at the annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition, but whose conclusions were made public this Monday, May 6 in the journal JAMA Network Open, they suggest that regular consumption of olive oil could be associated with a reduced risk of death from dementia.

A finding established after analysis of a wealth of data, including food questionnaires, including 92,383 adults over 28 years. Note that during this period, more than 4,700 participants died from dementia.

28% drop in fatal dementia

In detail, the results reveal that consuming more than half a tablespoon of olive oil per day is associated with a decline 28% of the risk of death from dementia. Researchers also note that replacing one teaspoon of margarine and mayonnaise with an equivalent amount of olive oil per day is associated with an 8 to 14 percent reduction in the risk of death. by dementia, regardless of the diet adopted. Despite this observation, scientists point out that people who regularly consumed olive oil instead of processed or animal fats had a healthier diet overall.

"Our study reinforces dietary guidelines recommending vegetable oils such as olive oil and suggests that these recommendations promote not only heart health but also potentially brain health. Opting for olive oil, a natural product, instead of fats such as margarine and commercial mayonnaise is a safe choice and may reduce the risk of fatal dementia", underlined Anne-Julie Tessier, researcher at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, in a press release published last July.

This is only an observational study, so there is no proof that olive oil is directly linked to the drop in risk of fatal dementia. A detail which is important, and which today pushes researchers to want to launch randomized controlled trials to confirm these results, and determine the optimal quantity of olive oil to consume for take advantage of all of these advantages.

According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 55 million people suffer from dementia worldwide, with an estimated 10 million new cases every year. Responsible for 60 to 70% of cases, Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia.